It is well-known to use neon tubing to provide decorative lighting effects for signage and building facades. Typically, the neon tubing is supported in a free-standing manner by merely embedding or affixing a tube support in the sign or facade. The neon tubing is then secured to or otherwise supported on the tube support. Such conventional border-neon installations are, of course, subject to extreme wear and degradation due to weathering and other environmental effects. The neon tubing can also be easily damaged since it is unprotected. These limitations severely limit the reliability of neon tube lighting systems and increase the cost thereof significantly.
With prior art systems, it also has not been possible to support neon tubing along a vertical extent of a high rise building in a manner that maintains architectural integrity, provides a straightline appearance of uninterrupted light, or can withstand detrimental environmental effects.
It would therefore be highly desirable to provide improved neon tube lighting systems and support assemblies for overcoming these and other problems associated with the prior art.